Changeable sign



Patented Aug. 22, 1916.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2- In amnion IELaPearl, y 1f 'f UTD SATS PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES H. LA PEARL,- OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

CHANGEABLE SIGN.

Application filed September 16, 1915.

. tion.

The present invention relates to improvements in changeable signs and the objects of the invention are to provide in a sign of this character improvedmeans for rotating the sign which will be of simple and economical construction whereby the signs can be exhibited in either a vertical or in a horizontal position; to provide improved means of securing signs to carrier sections; to provide improved mechanism for producing an intermittent movement of the sign from a continuous movement of a motor; to provide means for economizing power for changing the signs; and to provide means whereby, should the device which shuts off the power be actuated while the mechanism of the sign is in motion, the motion will continue until the sign is brought to a' position in Which it is properly exhibited.

In the/accompanying drawing, Figure 1 is a broken front view ofa sign constructed in accordance with my invention; Fig. 2 is an enlarged plan view of a prism thereof and a carrier connected therewith; Fig. 3 is an enlarged broken front View thereof; Fig. 4 is a broken vertical section thereof; Fig. 5 is a plan view of the mechanism for rotating the prisms; Fig. 6 is a broken front view of a pair of prisms in their position of rest; Fig. 7 is a plan view, of a pair of sign sections; Fig. 8 is a diagrammatic view of electrical connections; Fig. 9 is a view similar to Fig. 2 of a modified form of the invention; Fig. 10 is a detail sectional view of a modification of the invention.

Referring to the drawing, 1 indicates a casing, having in its front side an opening 2 through whichare visible signs 3 and shelves 4, 5 above and below said opening. In the shelves 4,5 are bearings for vertical shafts 6, carrying on their upper ends sprocket wheels 8, around which travels a sprocket chain 9, so that the shafts rotate together. Said shafts are intermittently rotated by mechanism hereinafter described. Upon each shaft 6 are secured, near the upper and lower shelves respectively, upper and lower plates 11, 1.2, and said plates thus Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 22, 1916.

Serial No. 51,006.

constitute, with the shaft 6, a prismatic frame. The prismatic frame, hereinafter termed the prism, may have any number of vertical sides, preferably more than three, and the number of changes of the signs or pictures will correspond with the number of vertical sides of the prism.

To each corner of each plate is pivoted, as shown at 14:, an arm or carrier 13, said carriers swinging in horizontal planes below the bottom plate or above the top plate. Each carrier has a guide pin 16, which is here shown as stamped out of the metal of the carrier and bent in the direction away from the other end of the prism. When large signs are used, thepin carries a roller 17, as shown in Fig. 10. Said pin is located on the carrier in advance of its pivot 14:, and as the plate rotates the pin 16 is caused by means hereinafter described, to enter a stationary cam groove 18, formed by a cam body 19 and a wall 20, and having such a position and direction that, while the plate rotates, said carrier is maintained parallel with one of the faces of the prism. As the plate continues to rotate on account of the path of the pivot 14 crossing the path of the pin 16, namely, the groove 18, at a considerable angle, the arm or carrier turns through more 'than a right angle until its front or inner portion abuts against a stud 21 extending from said cam body in the opposite direction to the pin 16 and the front portion of the arm or carrier is arrested by said stud. The pivot 14 of the arm or carrier continues, however, to advance; and to allow the pin 16 also to advance, as is necessary, the cam groove has a slight inward bend 22 to accommodate the pin 16. This movement of the arm or carrier continues until its direction is completely reversed, so that, it now extends in a direction parallel with a face of the prism and also parallel with, but in the opposite direction to, the succeeding carrier. The result is that, if a sign section 24 be carried on each carrier and also one 25 on the face of the prism, all three sections are in approximately the same plane, or at least in planes parallel with each other. Any number of such prismatic frames can be suitably arranged, so that, as each plate of the frame in turn comes to the front, a different sign will be displayed.

As shown at 15 in Fig. 2, the edge of the cam body extends from the groove 18 forwardly in a direction nearer to the shaft 6 than the forward end of said groove, and consequently the guide pin 16, after leaving the groove, can rotate freely around the shaft as well as the pivot 14, until, as the plate continues to advance, a rear portion of the carrier abuts against a stop on the shelf 3 or 4, and the carrier is turned by said stop with the advance of the plate. To understand how the carrier is still further guided and turned with the rotary movement of the plate it is now necessary to describe the construction and arrangement of the sign sec.- tions.

Two sign or picture sections 24 are carried by each carrier.- 'Each section comprises a flat piece of metal or other suitable material, one vertical edge of which is bent back and the bent back portion is then folded reversely in the middle to form a groove 26, while the other vertical edge is simply bent back to form a tongue 27, as shown in Fig. 7. The two sign sections are placed back to back and the tongue 27 at the vertical edge of each section is inserted in the groove 26 at the vertical edge of the other section. Each carrier is formed with a longitudinal slot 28 and the tops and bottoms of the sign sections are each reduced in width to form shoulders 29, and said reduced ends of both sections are inserted in the slots 28, the shoulders 29 resting against the carrier. By this construction the sign sections can be easily removed by bending and springing the ends out of the slots. The sign sections are also each formed at the top and also at the bottom with a second shoulder 31, which abuts against the edge of the plates 11, 12

in the revolution of the carrier, and prevents the guide pin 16 moving too far away from the entrance LO the cam groove 18, so as to insure its entering said groove. It will readily be seen that, with this arrangement the number of different signs that can be displayed is the same as the number of vertical sides of the prism.

In the modification ofthe invention shown in Fig. 9 no sign sections are carried by the prismatic frame, but sign sections carried by the carriers are made sulliciently wide to extend each along one-half of the edge of the plate on one side of the pivot, while the part on the other side of the pivot is of the same width as the edge of the plate, so that the two sign sections take the place of the three 24 and 25, in the first described form of the invention.

The following means are provided for producing an intermittent revoluble motion of the prism and sign sections. Electricity from a suitable source 33 is led by a conductor 34'to one pole 40 of an electric motor 35, from another pole 45 of which a-wire 36 leads through a resistance 37 and switch 38 to a wire 39 and thence to a contact 41 which is in contactwith a spring contact 42,from which a wire 43 leads to the other side of the source of supply. By this means the motor is energized and rotates, and, by means of a belt 18, rotates a pulley 49 on a worm shaft 51, the worm of which engages a worm wheel 52, the shaft of which carries a segment gear 53. Said segment gear 53 carries a pin 54 which can engage a spring-actuated dog 56 an remove it from the teeth of a gear wheel 57 on the shaft of one of the sprocket wheels. At the same time that this removal takes place, the teeth of the segment gear 53 engage the teeth of the gear wheel 57 and impart thereto a partial rotation, causing also the sprocket wheels to partially rotate,

and the sign sections to move from one position of display to another. However, while the segment gear is in mesh with the gear 'wheel and the sign sections are turning, the

electric current does not pass from the contact ll to the spring-contact 42, but travels in another path, for a pin 58 carried on the segment gear engages a curved extension 59 of the spring-contact 42 and moves it out of contact with the contact 41 and into contact with a contact 61, which is connected with a wire 62 leading direct to said pole 45 and avoiding the resistance 37. Thereby an increased current is passed through the motor at the time when it is doing the work of rotating the sign sections.

It will be seen that if the switch should be operated to shut off the current while the sign sections are turning, the turning will still be completed, since the current does not at that time pass through the switch, but passes between the contacts 42 and 61. When, however, the turning has been completed, the pin 58 leaves the curved extension 59 of the contact 4.2, and said springcontact 42 leaves the contact 61, and the circuit no longer passes between them, and, if the switch is also cut off, the motor then stops. Thus means are provided whereby, when it is desired to stop the operation of the apparatus, said stoppage will not be finally completed exceptwhen the sign sections displayed are in alinement, so that the picture .or sign is displayed complete, since it is very undesirable to leave the ap-' paratus in a stationary position and with the various sign sections standing irregularly and so that the interior of the casing -cbuld be viewed between the sign sections.

plates having fixed between them cam bodies, a vertical shaft rotatable between said bearing plates, angular end plates secured to said shaft, means for rotating the shaft and end plates, a series of carriers pivoted on each end plate to swing in planes parallel therewith and between the end plate and the adjacent bearing plate, said pivots being at equal distances around said end plate, and sign sections carried by said carriers, a guide pin extending from each carrier in the direction away from the plate upon which it is pivoted, a wall on the bearing plate forming with the cam a groove to receive said guide pin. said groove extending nearer to the shaft than the pivots of the carriers, a fixed stop, between the bearingplate and the end plate and adapted to be impinged upon by the forward part of the carrier to arrest the same in the rotation of the carrier, the edge of said cam body extending rearwardly from the forward end of said cam groove nearer to the shaft than said forward end, and a fixed stop arranged to be impinged upon by the part of the carrier remote from the guide pin to arrest the latter part while the remainder of the carrier moves onward.

2. The combination of parallel bearing plates having fixed between them cam bodies, a vertical shaft rotatable between said bearing plates, angular end plates secured to said shaft, means for rotating the shaft and end plates, a series of carriers pivoted on each end plate to swing in planes parallel therewith and between the end plate and the adjacent bearing plate, said pivots being at equal distances around said end plate, and sign sections carried by said carriers, a guide pin extending from each carrir in the direction away from the plate upon which it is pivoted, a wall on the bearing plate forming with the cam a groove to receive said guide pin, said groove extending nearer to the shaft than the pivots of the carriers, a fixed stop, between the bearing plate and the end plate and adapted to be impinged upon by the forward part of the carrier to arrest the same in the rotation of the carrier, the edge of said cam body extending rearwardly from the forward end of said cam groove nearer to the shaft than said forward end, and a fixed stop arranged to be impinged upon by the part of the carrier remote from the guide pin to arrest the latter part while the remainder of the carrier moves onward, each sign section having a shoulder adapted. to abut against the adjacent end plate on the side of the pivot of the carrier opposite to its pin after the carrierleaves said latter stop to press the forward end of the carrier against the cam body, the remainder of said cam body being rounded, to guide the guide pin into said groove.

3. In a sign, the combination of a series of rotatably mounted prisms having parallel longitudinal axes, carriers pivotally supported at corners of the prisms to rotate in planes perpendicular to the axes of the prisms, each carrier having a pin extending therefrom, a cam groove into which said pin enters for guiding the carrier, the path of the pivot of the carrier crossing the direction of the cam groove, whereby the carrieris turned by the rotation of the prism, and a stud against which a portion of the carrier abuts to further turn the carrier in front of the pin and pivot in the rotation of the prism.

4. In a sign, the combination of a series of rotatably mounted prisms having parallel longitudinal axes, slotted carriers pivoted at the corners of the prisms toswing in planes perpendicular to the axes threofysign sections removably supported by said carriers, means for intermittently rotating the prisms,

means for guiding the carriers in the rotation of the prisms to bring said carriers into alinement with each otherat one point in their rotation, and sign sections having their ends reduced in width to form shoulders, said redufi'ed portions being received in said slots.

5. In a sign, the combination of a series of rotatably mounted prisms having parallel longitudinal axes, and means for synchronously and intermittently rotating said prisms, comprising a motor, a shaft rotated thereby, a segment gear carried by said shaft, and a gear wheel operatively connected to said prism and adapted to be engaged by said segment gear, and means for increasing the power of the motor when the segment gear comes into engagement with the gear wheel and for decreasing it when it is disengaged therefrom.

6. In a sign, the combination of a series of rotatably mounted prisms having parallel longitudinal axes, an electric motor for rotating said prisms, a switch for controlling the supply of electricity to said motor, a conductor for conducting the supply of electricity to said motor independently of that through said switch, mechanism whereby the continuous rotation of the motor produces an intermittent rotation of the sign, and means whereby the current through the motor is directed through the switch during the period of rest of the sign, and through the independent conductor through the period of rotation thereof.

7. In a sign, the combination of a series of rotatably mounted prisms having parallel longitudinal axes, an electric motor for retating said prisms, a switch for controlling the supply of electricity to said motor, a resistance interposed in the circuit through the switch, a conductor for conducting the supply of electricity to said motor independ ently of that through said switch, mechanism whereby the continuous rotation of the motor produces an intermittent rotation of the sign, and means whereby the current through the motor is directed through the switch during the period of rest of the sign, and through the independent conductor through the period of rotation thereof.

8. In a sign, the combination ofga series of rotatably mounted prisms havifi g parallel longitudinal axes, an electric motor for rotating said prisms, a switch for controlling the supply of electricity to said motor, a conductor for conducting the supply of electricity to said motor independently of that through said switch, mechanism whereby the continuous rotation of the motor produces an intermittent rotation of the sign, a springcontact connected with the source of supply of electricity on the side of the motor oppopresses site to that of the switch and independent conductor, contacts respectively connected to the independent conductor and the conductor through the switch, said spring-contact normally contacting with the last-named of the other two contacts, and means revolving around the shaft and adapted to engage said spring-contact while the shaft is rotating the sign to move it out of said last-named contact and into engagement with the other contact.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses. v

JAMES H. LA PEARL. lVitnesses:

F. M. WRIGHT, D. B. RICHARDS. 

